Daud Olatunji
Nigeria has moved up to the sixth position in the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025, signaling a worsening security crisis as 565 people were repeatedly killed in terrorism-related attacks in 2024.
The Institute for Economics & Peace, which compiles the annual index, reported that Nigeria’s score of 7.658 reflects an increase in fatalities over the past two years.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the country previously ranked eighth in 2023 and 2024 but now sits among the top six most terror-affected nations globally, following Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Syria, Mali, and Niger.
PLATFORM TIMES further reports that, despite previous declines in terrorism-related deaths, the latest report indicates a 34% rise in fatalities from 533 in 2023 to 565 in 2024, reversing a decade-long trend of improvement.
It was gathered that the resurgence of terrorist activities, including attacks by IS-Sahel, has contributed to the rising death toll.
The report highlights that IS-Sahel, a militant group operating in the Liptako-Gourma region—where Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger meet—has expanded into Nigeria, Algeria, and Benin.
The group was responsible for 16 attacks in Nigeria in 2024, further escalating insecurity.
The Sahel region has become the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51% of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide in 2024.
It was also gathered that Conflict-related deaths in the region exceeded 25,000, the highest recorded since the inception of the index.
Niger recorded the largest increase in terrorism-related deaths, with fatalities surging by 94% to 930 in 2024, erasing previous counterterrorism gains.
Burkina Faso, despite remaining the most affected nation, saw a 21% decline in deaths and a 57% drop in attacks, raising concerns that terrorist groups are shifting their focus to neighboring countries like Nigeria.
The report reveals that Nigeria remains a high-risk country, with terrorist activities persisting despite military interventions.
It warns that the recent rise in terrorism-related deaths suggests a fragile counterterrorism strategy, as militant groups continue to adapt and expand their operations.
PLATFORM TIMES observed that with terrorism spreading across more countries—rising from 58 to 66 affected nations in 2024, the highest since 2018—the report emphasizes that Nigeria must strengthen its counterterrorism measures to prevent further escalation.
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